


Phenomenon

by 0paque



Category: Monsta X
Genre: Accountant!Hyunwoo, Blood, Changkyun big brain lol, Changkyun can move things with his mind and fly too, Fighting, Fluff, Guns, Hoseok is invincible, Hyungwon can read auras and heal, Hyunwoo can manipulate memories and morph reality to make shields from thin air, Jooheon controls water and ice, Kihyun can see the future and fly, Light Angst, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Minhyuk is a firebender, Multi, Send help they're in love, Sight and blindness dynamic, Smut, Soulmate AU, Taking things slow doesn't exactly work out, fire and ice dynamic, hyungwonkyun are dumbfounded by the idea of a soulmate trio, idk what to tag, loft cubicles, mind body and soul dynamic, nurse!kihyun, sensual scenes, superhero au, tags will be updated as I go, training at a huge facility
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-04-29
Updated: 2020-04-29
Packaged: 2021-03-01 23:01:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,395
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23905078
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/0paque/pseuds/0paque
Summary: Everyone is born with a superpower, and everyone is born with a black mark somewhere on their body - a soulmate sigil. Your powers are useless until you meet your soulmate.Seven individuals who aspire to become heroes for the National Foundation of Defenders meet their soulmates in a strange series of accidents. Now, after the unlikely formation of a team of powerful heroes, a lurking evil will step into the light and change the course of the future - unless the ragtag team can stop them first.(Heavily inspired by "From Zero To Sixty" by ScarletSiren on Ao3.)
Relationships: Chae Hyungwon/Im Changkyun | I.M, Chae Hyungwon/Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Chae Hyungwon/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Im Changkyun | I.M/Lee Hoseok | Wonho, Lee Jooheon/Lee Minhyuk, Son Hyunwoo | Shownu/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 14
Kudos: 37





	Phenomenon

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [From Zero to Sixty](https://archiveofourown.org/works/12378939) by [ScarlettSiren](https://archiveofourown.org/users/ScarlettSiren/pseuds/ScarlettSiren). 



> I have never written 6k+ in one chapter... oof...

News outlets had always been filled with the struggle of good versus evil, the light against the dark. It wasn’t anything that anyone had perceived as unnatural. The idea had been around for as long as recorded history; since creation. And just as there had been good and bad, there had been folk who represented both. There had always been a myriad of heroes and villains and the rogues that never picked sides, but that’s how it always had been -that’s how it always will be. It was life. It was normal. It was expected.

  
  


Hoseok knew he was dangerous. He learned that at a very young age. Ever since two soulmate sigils had been branded into his inner forearms and his powers took such a devastating toll on his mind and soul, he had done his best to suppress them.

  
  


And that was astonishingly difficult.

  
  


Hoseok wanted nothing more than to help people, to protect them. He wanted to use his powers to aid the sick and to defend the city he called home. He wanted to provide security for his friends and family, and as it seemed, his lovers.

  
  


Wishful thinking, right?

  
  


Today was another day. Plain and simple, nothing out of the ordinary. Hoseok had awoken before the sun, gone to the gym for a few hours, came home, did some work, and he sat here now. The news channel echoed from the living area of his apartment, and Hoseok was almost tempted to turn it off. He didn’t though. It provided background noise as he piddled around the area and kept him updated as to what crimes occurred where.

  
  


It never stopped the yearn to help that still stung in his chest.

  
  


Hoseok knew everything he would do if he became an official hero in the National Foundation of Defenders. He knew he’d want to be in one of their alphabetized squadrons, with his two soulmates, fighting together. His powers all seemed to revolve around his body - strength, stamina, endurance, durability, all of that fun stuff. He knew his hero alias would be Vigor, for the strength and excitement he held within him.

  
  


But he was not Vigor. He was Hoseok. And he was alone.

  
  


And being alone made Hoseok dangerous.

  
  


When he was fifteen, Hoseok had tried stopping a robbery at his mother’s store. He was successful, no one was hurt and the thieves were apprehended and arrested, but not without the price that Hoseok knew he’d have to pay. When Hoseok used his powers, he quite literally lost a part of his soul. He lost a part of who he was. Not only did he lose himself, his mind seemed to falter. His moral compass seemed to disappear for a time. He began to forget what was wrong and what was right. He hurt a lot of people.

  
  


So, on the eve of his sixteenth birthday, Hoseok set out to find his soulmates.

  
  


That was eleven years ago, and Hoseok still reaped no fruits from his labor.

  
  
  
  


To say the very least, Kihyun hated his job. It paid well, which remained the only reason he still worked at the hellsite, but one of these days, because of their demanding hours, his powers would likely kill him. Due to capitalism and the insane expectations he felt he had to live up to (and, of course his ridiculous work schedule,) Kihyun didn’t really have time to go on the ever-fantasized search for his soulmate. As a matter of fact, if he met his soulmate before the visions of the future destroyed his body and mind, he might fight them. At this point, Kihyun didn’t believe that this lover, fated to be with him from birth, would show up. If it was supposed to happen, it would’ve happened by now.

  
  


And because of that, Kihyun made peace with the thought of being alone a long time ago.

  
  


The idea of working with the NFD in any way, shape, or form was very pleasing. Any and all workers of the NFD, hero or not, lived very comfortably and were treated so well. Although joining a squadron and becoming a hero was a nice idea, he could live with an internship in one of their countless security offices. Kihyun even had the rare gift of flight to go with his ability to catch glimpses of the future, so even if he didn’t ultimately become a signed hero, he could work at one of the enclosed cubicles in the loft of their offices. Kihyun had heard many good things about the loft cubicles.

  
  


But Kihyun didn’t work at the NFD, Kihyun was not a hero, and Kihyun did not have his own neat and personalized loft cubicle.

  
  


Kihyun worked night shifts as a nurse in the local hospital’s ICU unit. More often than not, whenever he wasn’t tending to a patient or haranguing a coworker over their lack of seriousness, the radio from the nurses’ station could be heard. The spokesman talked, and Kihyun listened. Sometimes, it tricked him into believing he was out there preventing these injuries and illnesses he saw on a daily basis.

  
  


Sometimes, Kihyun tricked himself into believing his dreams.

  
  


Dreams that could come true if he had just met his soulmate like he was supposed to. He’d met hundreds of people while attending college for nursing, yet none of them bore the same sigil scrawled across their skin. Kihyun never understood why some people never made such a fuss about it- the sigil’s placement, that is. With the jet black mark scribbled permanently across his palm, every time he extended a hand he was reminded of his solitude, of something he wishes would disappear from his life forever.

  
  


Kihyun, as honest as a saint, hated being alone with all his heart.

  
  
  
  


Minhyuk had registered to be a hero roughly three months ago. He still eagerly awaited that one phone call requesting him to come to the facility and present his capabilities, to prove why he should be a hero. He was born with his blood ablaze and his the air in his lungs hot enough to keep you warm for the winter. He could conjure flames, control them, manipulate how they thrashed. It was extremely dangerous, yes, and his parents definitely had to learn how to manage a rambunctious child who could create fire with his own free will, but it was nothing they couldn’t do to make Minhyuk the man he is today.

  
  


Minhyuk always had a knack for making people smile. As a young boy, he would snap his fingers and a small sliver of flame would ignite on the tip of his thumb as if it were a lighter. Whether it was the fact that he was still a child, still so fascinated by the light and the warmth his own powers brought, or perhaps his youthful charm which kept anyone from at least shying away with a grin.

  
  


Maybe, Minhyuk thought, maybe it was a smile of pity. Pity that his sigil, the black so striking against the paleness of his inner wrist, might keep him from living to his full potential.

  
  


With all the fire blazing inside him, Minhyuk never once knew what it was like to be cold. He did know, rather, what it was like to be too hot. Uncomfortably so.

  
  


Almost as if he were burning alive from the inside out.

  
  


Minhyuk registered to be a hero because it was his dream, his purpose. Minhyuk had trained to work in an NFD squadron because he knew that, even if he never met his soulmate, he could die knowing he had helped in some way. His search had lasted a mere few years with no luck, and after tolls on his scorching veins, he ended his journey with a heavy heart. He registered at the NFD three days later.

  
  


The fire inside Minhyuk blazed. It was killing him slowly. Minhyuk often woke up in the dead of night drenched in sweat and singeing through his sheets, small flickers of embers he had created eating away at the already tattered fabric. He would douse himself in freezing water, watching as the room enveloped in steam and his body feeling ever-so-slightly cooler. It progressively got worse the older he got. Minhyuk’s worst bout was definitely when he was nineteen and working his first job. He had stepped into the freezer of the local restaurant, and in turn, melted all of the ice with his presence alone. He was fired, of course. Moments like that were what triggered Minhyuk’s desire to search for his soulmate. The suffocating loneliness and humiliation he inadvertently brought upon himself gave him all the motivation he would need...so he thought. His bright smile and youthful charm may win the hearts of the public, but without a soulmate to keep him from involuntarily destroying himself, it wouldn’t last long.

  
  


And because of that very inevitable demise, Minhyuk was afraid.

  
  
  
  


Hyunwoo knew what he signed up for when he started college for a masters in economics. Years later his degree in accounting would keep him living rather comfortably, but nowhere near as sumptuous or lavish as NFD workers would. Hyunwoo often found himself working on those very individuals, helping to manage their finances or teach someone what on God’s good earth taxes were. It was a repetitive lifestyle, but it suited his needs, so Hyunwoo decided to be satisfied.

  
  


Hyunwoo could’ve very easily been a villain. With the dangerous ability to manipulate, fabricate, or even eradicate the memories of whoever he may wish, he could morph the world to his will. Just as he could create or destroy memories, Hyunwoo could create what can only be described as an invisible wall: mirrored barriers formed by the mere fabric of reality. It was exhilarating to watch, but that small moment where his veins turned black and his eyes flickered crimson put any viewer at unease. But, his mother raised him right, and Hyunwoo’s moral compass was stronger than (dare I say) any other hero registered. Hyunwoo had the heart of a leader, yet all he led was an austere life with no hope of finding a soulmate to liven it up. He chose to ignore that fact, bury it like he buried every foul word that framed him as the bad guy.

Hyunwoo had even gone to the extent of concealing his soulmate mark. He hadn't used his powers in years – he wouldn't dare to – not after years of unceasing jeers and scowls and blame. A soulmate mark on the inner bicep was relatively easy to hide, but regardless, it still needed to be hidden.

Hyunwoo wanted to hide from his soulmate, and the shame he would feel because of who he was.

Hyunwoo knew his soulmate wouldn't care – they're soulmates, dammit, they're meant to be perfect together and become proof of undying love with no bounds. But...Hyunwoo couldn't help but to be scared. All he had ever received was hatred for his unique and terrifying powers, even though they could be used for so much good.

You'd think dedicating so much time to helping people would prove that Hyunwoo wasn't a villain. Then again, with so much hurt and hate, words have weight, and that weight could crumble even the strongest of men. Hyunwoo didn't want to crumble. He wanted to be loved and use his powers – use them to protect, never to destroy.

The world was against Son Hyunwoo, but despite all of that, he still hoped for love.

Computers weren't exactly unfamiliar to Changkyun. He worked with them, toyed with them, built them and took them apart as if he were a child playing with a set of Lego blocks. And as a child, that's exactly what he did. He built. He was able to construct brilliant structures even as a young boy, and by the time he was in high school, he could've recited any speech or lecture given throughout the year verbatim.

Im Changkyun's mind was fascinating.

It was all a gift of his powers – a photogenic memory, an uncanny ability to piece information together and bring new ideas to the table – not to mention being able to move things with just a thought. It was convenient, yes, but not if with every item moved you'd lose your strength, your energy, and part of who you are. It was a nasty toll for such a gracious gift. 

The NFD had never offered Changkyun a job, despite their knowledge of his capabilities. One might expect it to be because he just hadn't found a soulmate, but there were two black sigils scrawled down his spine – two soulmates to find. Finding one soulmate in a world this vast was a challenge enough as it is, but when a second soulmate is thrown into the mix – Changkyun had heard it all his life.

Without the balance of his soulmates' powers – he's as good as dead.

Changkyun made sure his marks were very much visible, and for the sake of knowing the NFD would hire him, even potentially as a squadron-assigned hero, he refused to wear anything that covered his back. He'd cut holes in the back of every sweater, every tee, every hoodie, cold be damned. 

Changkyun refused to let his body break itself down because of some stupid marks that occasionally burned. Without the shadow of a doubt, Changkyun was going to find his soulmates, and he wasn't going to die trying. Many called his ambition a fluke of his intellect, others praised it as the only reminder of his youth. Changkyun was only twenty-four, after all. He had a full life to lead, if only the people who could protect his body and soul would show up or make themselves visible.

Changkyun was going to succeed in finding his soulmates. He was sure of it.

People joke about being too hot or too cold a lot. Weather was a common topic of discussion, an expected icebreaker in conversations with unfamiliar folk, but Jooheon never appreciated the subject. Naturally, his very hair was white, skin pale and cold to the touch, and eyes crystal blue. Of course, considering the humiliation he'd faced from being called Jack Frost all throughout his school years, and even within his first jobs, he decided to dye his hair and wear colored contacts. The soulmate sigil on his ribcage almost looked like ink on paper. The black was prominent, almost intimidatingly so. 

Jooheon controlled water and ice. He felt at home next to the sea or in the middle of a blizzard in the dead of winter. Cold was familiar to Jooheon, so he declared it a friend.

Friends, after all, to Jooheon, still hurt you.

Cold was familiar to Jooheon, even if it had chilled his very bones and settled frost on the floorboards of his home. He had joked about going north, living in the mountains or going to Antarctica to be friends with the penguins and seals, but it wasn't all a joke. He felt a tug, somewhere deep in his soul, to leave. To surround himself with the cold, with all he knew, with his friend, and just lay himself to rest. 

It was a tempting thought, but Jooheon had bigger plans for himself than a lonely death in the Arctic. 

Before he eventually froze himself to death – which is a terrifying thought that simultaneously provides excellent motivation – Jooheon had his mind set on finding his soulmate and becoming a hero. He'd fight to find and take care of the one who would one day take care of him. 

Jooheon feared the future, so he was determined to change it.

Chae Hyungwon wasn't exactly the most excited person to find his soulmates, even as a child. Normally, children would go to school eager to see if anyone they knew would provide a blazing hot sensation somewhere on their body, only to look and see that their other soulmate mark had appeared. He'd watched it happen a few times throughout his years of elementary and middle school, and it happened more often than he'd expected as he walked through the bustling hallways of his high school.

But Hyungwon already had two soulmate marks. 

It confused him for a long time. The idea of having not one, but _two_ soulmates seemed impossible. His parents only had one mark before they met each other, and so did his siblings, and so did every relative he'd manage to seek guidance from. Hyungwon didn't understand why he had to be different, and he also didn't understand why the obsidian sigils had to be etched around his neck. 

For so long, Hyungwon had endured congratulations on finding his soulmate, and then explaining to the best of his ability that he hadn't met anyone, that he just had two marks. His marks were hard to hide, too, especially in the summer. At least in the winter he could bury himself in scarves, turtlenecks, and high-collared coats and button-ups to avoid chatter about his marks. 

Hyungwon's powers confused him, too. Reading auras seemed pointless – he couldn't help people with that. Flying, that little bit was helpful, but hardly effective compared to the NFD heroes he'd aspired to be like. And for such a seemingly pointless ability, the mental and physical toll it took was far too great to even be worth experimenting with. Like many other soulmate-less people, Hyungwon suppressed his powers.

It was embarrassing to explain that Hyungwon was alone, and equally devastating to think that he was a walking mistake.

_ Luckily, today could only be described as a fateful day. They wouldn't be alone for long. _

It was brisk, cloudy, but not necessarily described as unpleasant outside. Of course the wind felt colder as it whipped through the alleyways between buildings, but it was tolerable. Hyungwon's long, dark hair tickled the bridge of his nose over his glasses as he made his way down the street. A few mundane errands, nothing out of the ordinary. People didn't pay as much as a second glance, because luckily for the tall man, it's the middle of January, and turtlenecks and long coats are warm and expected. Hyungwon twirled the keys to his apartment around a long, slender finger as he walked. They could go flying into the street, he was very well aware of that, but he didn't really care. This was his stop – a small bank tucked between a restaurant and an arcade, and right across the street from a hospital and surrounded by apartment buildings. Precarious placement, but it was the most secure bank Hyungwon had ever seen.

“Good morning, Mr. Chae,” Greeted one of the women behind the sleek counter. “How can we help you today?”

Hyungwon gave the woman an empty yet cordial smile. “Just another deposit.”

The woman tapped away at her computer as Hyungwon waited. He looked around; the bank's interior was deceptively large, in relativity to its size from the exterior. Several workers attended to several customers, and the atmosphere was calm. It was a cozy bustle, and it struck Hyungwon as odd to be so busy this early in the morning. The bank had only been open for half an hour or so.

A few individuals caught Hyungwon's eye. They acted jittery, refused to make eye contact, but constantly looked around. One man continuously eyed at security cameras. 

There was a pricking at Hyungwon's neck; damn his intuition. He hated using his powers, but maybe reading the auras in the room could possibly help prevent trouble... He closed his eyes and focused on his breathing, and when his eyes reopened, the room was blooming with vivid plumes of color. His stomach sank. Auras radiate off of people – individuals he had pegged earlier radiated no aura. Instead, they looked like silhouettes against a white sunrise: shadows. They didn't emit auras, they absorbed them. 

Before his body grew too exhausted to continue seeing, two different figures caught Hyungwon's attention. One of the two auras was similar to a bonfire, or maybe a realistic rendition of the sun. No matter the comparison, it reminded Hyungwon of a mighty blaze. The second aura was as black as the shadows of other men, but as the black aura shifted and phased, bright pulses of crimson and gold surged through it. It was a powerful, fascinating aura. 

But using his powers had a toll, and Hyungwon's eyes closed and his knees buckled. He brought a hand to his head and shook it off to the best of his ability. The woman helping him with his deposit stood, asking fervently if he was alright, if he needed a glass of water or to sit down. His mind hadn't given out just yet, but his body was growing weaker by the second. 

“Ma'am,” He whispered urgently. “I need you to contact authorities immediately. Police, NFD, anyone. There are evil people here.”

The woman took one look into Hyungwon's eyes, and he assumed they looked strange yet convincing, because she immediately slid her hand under her desk and pressed a button. 

Sirens. Locked doors. Authorities contacted. _A lot of angry shadows._

The suspicious men erupted with exasperated cries and drew guns from seemingly nowhere. As the cages reached the ground in front of the glass storefront and doors, the workers and clientele were cowering behind desks or whatever their bodies could fit under or behind. The man with the fiery aura stood forward, as did the man with the black aura. Hyungwon fell to the ground, his body finally exhausted, and he couldn't help but to watch while he waited for his mind to fail him too. 

The fiery man looked around desperately, but never flinched even as one of the shadows aimed the gun directly at him. The second man held out a hand, as if getting ready to catch something that was going to be tossed from behind. 

Hyungwon winced when he heard gunfire, but couldn't tear his eyes away from the two men before the shadows. It was an enthralling, exciting sight to see. The exact second the bullet was out of the barrel, the first man sidestepped and reached out a hand. The sparks from the gun were pulled towards him, and as they grew closer, they grew into brilliant plumes of fire that then recoiled and struck at the shadows. The second man, as the flames neared the first of the two, pulled the extended hand back to his body and it was if the very air between the shadows & men and Hyungwon & the others solidified into an impenetrable wall. The bullets kept flying, but not one scathed the two men fighting. The first man's plumes of fire grew as the shadows fired their guns, and soon the flame consumed them. The second man, it's almost as if his aura became visible to the normal eye after the invisible shield dispelled. The first man did nothing, but as if he willed the blaze to die, the licking and lapping tongues of flame vanished. 

Hyungwon couldn't believe his eyes. These were ordinary men, not even registered NFD heroes... 

Police officers rushed the scene but were rather surprised to see the damage was contained, and no one was hurt. Just before he lost consciousness, Hyungwon overheard the woman who just tried doing her job and help him with a deposit telling the authorities about him. How he looked around with glowing, sea-glass green eyes before nearly fainting. Hyungwon's eyes closed as they placed him on a stretcher.

Hyunwoo ran out to the ambulance, insisting he accompany the man to the hospital. He had to know what happened, even if it was just fear striking the tall stranger down. He had to know if his morphing of reality had broken and caused him to be struck with a bullet. The man who had controlled fire stood beside Hyunwoo as the two waited for the okay to follow the ambulance to the hospital. He was curious, because usually NFD-registered heroes have a delay time or aren't hanging around banks at 7:45 in the morning. Suspicious sounded mean, so Hyunwoo decided he was curious. 

The two men clambered into the back of a couple police cars and tailed the ambulance. The hospital bay was around the curve seeing that the hospital itself was lodged on the corner of the street. One of the men higher in the police echelon agreed that the men could see if the tall, fainted man was alright if they agreed to answer questions to the best of their ability as they were checked out for any injuries. 

The hospital room the tall man with glasses was in remained off limits until he regained consciousness. His vitals were relatively normal, so Hyunwoo didn't worry too much. There was also no torn clothing, and the only physical damage seemed to be a bruise on his shoulder from where he fell. 

“What's your name?”

Hyunwoo looked to his left, where the fire-bender sat. “Uh, Hyunwoo. You?”

“Lee Minhyuk,” He replied cheerily. “Nice to meet ya.” Minhyuk had a broad, toothy smile and pronounced cheekbones. He held up a large hand to give a friendly wave, and Hyunwoo caught a glimpse of what had to have been his soulmate sigil on his inner right wrist. He subtly began to look for the other.

“You did some pretty cool stuff in there!” Hyunwoo appreciated that Minhyuk was trying to carry a lighthearted conversation. “It was like you made a wall out of nothing, it was awesome.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “I didn't do anything much, you're the one that did the thing with fire and brought them all down.”

Before the two could continue, the door opened and an important-looking officer walked in. Time for interrogation.

Kihyun was a versatile nurse, so he wasn't surpised to find himself checking the vitals and reading the charts of a man who had fainted during an attempted bank robbery. He had started to stir, and the man's name was Chae Hyungwon, based on the ID in his wallet. Kihyun sat in the chair beside the bed, ready to console the tall man with glasses when he woke up.

Hyungwon's eyes fluttered open, and Kihyun put on his most calm and comforting face. “Hello, Mr. Chae. How do you feel?”

Hyungwon blinked a few times. Kihyun observed threads of vivid green coursing through his irises as he regained consciousness. “A little sleepy.”

“You'll be able to rest soon,” Kihyun reassured. “I believe there were a few men who wanted to check on you who were at the scene. They are currently being questioned by police.”

Hyungwon blinked a few more times and yawned. He tried to lift his torso up onto wobbly elbows, but he quickly found himself laying back down with Kihyun nagging him to not exert himself. Hyungwon noticed the way Kihyun's eyes twinkled even when he nagged, and also the ink-dark sigil on his palm. Had he not been exhausted beyond measure, he might've read Kihyun's aura just out of curiosity.

A different nurse stepped in. “Nurse Yoo, we need you on floor three.”

Kihyun's expression turned grim, and after a few more comforting words to Hyungwon, he deftly left the room. 

The other nurse walked with Kihyun to the elevators. “Another freak accident, it brought in three more. Two injured, one dude that just looks seriously rattled. Not sure what happened exactly.”

Kihyun nodded, and a strong determination bloomed in his eyes. “Thank you, Yeosang. They'll be fine in no time.”

Floor three was where Kihyun was usually stationed, so he doesn't really need to be as worried as he is. He isn't sure what's rattling him, and he prays that he doesn't get one of his 'prophecies' whenever someone's eyes are off of him. They're quite inconvenient. 

The elevator buzzed and Kihyun rushed out and was greeted with a searing pain in his right palm. He held up both his hands, and watched as new curves and angles were carved magically into his hand, contrasting beautifully against the other mark. 

He'd been near his soulmate.

Kihyun lifted his gaze frantically, almond eyes darting around for any sign of someone in discomfort or serious pain. He then realizes, of course, that he is in the ICU unit of a hospital. 

Something up above must've had mercy on Kihyun, because he locked eyes with one of the men who was rushing to the same place he was. He was obviously not one of the workers here, or even a patient, but Kihyun knew he was the most beautiful man he had ever laid eyes on. His face, Kihyun would've swooned, was as if some god carved it of marble. Tanned skin, dark eyes, full lips, and a strong build – this guy even _looked_ like someone Kihyun would fall head over heels for in an instant.

“I'll be right back, stay here.” Wow, Kihyun, great first impression. The man nodded nonetheless, and Kihyun ran to aid whoever needed him.

Turns out a lot of people met their soulmate that day.

Minhyuk sat in the waiting room. Hyunwoo had ran off after two more people were carted in, and insisted he go with them. Minhyuk didn't really know how the nurses let him go. At this point, a man sat directly beside him. He was bulky; broad shouldered and had biceps the size of baseballs, no joke. Equipped with thick thighs, veiny hands, and plump lips, Minhyuk would be impressed if he wasn't so worried for him. 

The man held his head in his hands, rested his elbows on his knees, and bounced them habitually. Minhyuk had opened his mouth to ask if he was alright, but the man quickly held his hand over his heart. He held it there, eyes open wide, and then scrambled to push up the sleeves of his hoodie. Two sigils were on his forearms, maybe his soulmate had been hurt or something.

The man shuddered. “Neither of these marks are mine.”

Minhyuk turned to him and cocked his head in curiosity, auburn bangs falling over his eyes. “They're not?”

The man shook his head slowly, the unreadable emotion flooding his toffee-brown eyes. “I'm Hoseok.”

Hyungwon was barely awake when a new man came in. The guy was rolled in unconscious just like he was. Hyungwon feigned sleep so he didn't have to answer any more questions from nurses. He wasn't hooked up to any IVs, and was expected to be out by the end of the day. The second the door closed after the rustle of doctors and nurses and hushed voices had cleared and quieted. Hyungwon overheard his temporary roommate's name – it was Changkyun – and that they were letting him rest, too. 

Hyungwon couldn't explain it. He felt energized, pulled to the unconscious man. His curiosity got the best of him. 

The taller carefully got up, hopeful that the younger wouldn't – or would, he guesses – stir. With every step he took, he felt the blood in his veins thrumming with an energy he couldn't place. It was unnatural. The man laying down was pretty, Hyungwon thought. He had a well-structured face. Nice jawline, sharp cupid's bow, set brows and eyelashes that fanned out over his cheeks. His nose was strong, but he wore it well. Hyungwon inched a little closer, simply unable to move away.

Changkyun's eyes snapped open. They were _violet_.

Hyungwon's hands were at his own throat before he could even say anything, and Changkyun's eyes were clenched shut as he arched his back off the hospital bed. Hyungwon fell to his knees again, a hand tangled in the sheets and fabric of uncomfortable hospital blankets with the other pressed against a vicious burn on his neck. 

Wait – wait, wait, wait.

Changkyun was one of his soulmates. 

Hyungwon and Changkyun looked at one another, bug-eyed and energized. 

“You-”

“-I'm-”

“Hyungwon.”

“Changkyun. Our other one is downstairs.”

And they were off. Hyungwon and Changkyun stood and took a moment to look at one another, their hearts fluttering, and bolted downstairs with renewed vigor. Nurses exchanged several glances, but the two patients were in the elevator on the way to the waiting room by the time they'd registered anything. Floor one, slow elevator. Convenient.

“So, Hyungwon, what brings you to the hospital?” Changkyun huffed. Hyungwon noticed his deep voice. He wasted no time taking his fingers and hooking onto Hyungwon's turtleneck, pulling it down to view the sigils around his throat. The two marks on the sides were the usual black of marks that didn't belong to you, but the one in the center, over Hyungwon's adam's apple, was faint. It looked almost like a scar. 

Hyungwon knew he could trust Changkyun – they're soulmates, right? Yeah, yeah. “I passed out after using my powers before an attempted robbery. How about you?”

Changkyun laughed. Hyungwon loved the sound, he was smitten with it as soon as he heard it. “Freak day. I was just at a convenience store getting some snacks with my friend Jooheon, some weird shadow thing showed up and Joo and some stranger...that I learned was one of my soulmates...went and fought it. I used my powers before passing out, too.”

Changkyun walked in front of Hyungwon on the way to the waiting room. The elder noticed the cut down the back of the shorter man's shirt, exposing three jet-black marks, and Hyungwon's would soon match.

“Hey!” Called an unfamiliar voice. Changkyun walked into the area filled with chairs, magazines, and coffee tables first. Hyungwon had only been able to peek out before he saw a well-built man run up to Changkyun and hold his forearms gingerly. “You're awake! I-” Hyungwon stepped in fully, and the muscular man locked eyes with him. Their sigils began to blaze again. This time, neither of them flinched. Hyungwon's turtleneck still rode low on his collarbones after Changkyun had messed with it, so the darkening of Hyungwon's third sigil was visible to the plain eye. 

Hyungwon had just met both of his soulmates within less than five minutes.

Hyungwon walked over to both of them, baffled and in denial, but held out a hand for the third man to shake. “Chae Hyungwon.”

Beefcake smiled a wholesome gummy smile as he shook Hyungwon's hand. “Lee Hoseok.”

The tallest of the group noticed the fire-bender from earlier that morning sitting in the waiting room as well. “Woah,” He muttered. “I'm Minhyuk, by the way, and I think I just witnessed one of the rarest phenomenons on the planet.”

Hyungwon noticed nurse Yoo running back with the second man from earlier, the one with the black, gold, and red aura. The nurse now had two black marks on his palms...he only had one earlier. 

“I request kindly that the four of you come with us,” Breathed Kihyun. “Floor three. Don't ask why. I hate not being able to pinpoint things, but this I can only describe as feeling 'right.'”

So the six of them walked into room 514 on the third floor, greeted warmly by a ghostly pale man with white hair. The room dropped several degrees, even with seven people crammed into such a confined area. Kihyun was squirming, this was unhygenic. 

More burning sigils, literal flying sparks, and the room almost felt foggy, or filled with steam. Minhyuk was sitting at the edge of the hospital bed, the pale man's hands in his own. 

“What the hell has even happened today...” Murmured Kihyun. “This is too wild.”

Changkyun snorted. “I'm willing to bet all of you, twenty bucks each, that someone from the NFD is gonna walk in with hero applications within the next ten minutes.”

“Double it if they're here in five,” Quipped Jooheon with a playful smirk. 

“So, what do we do now?” Hyungwon inquired. He stood against the wall, Hoseok and Changkyun at either side. “I refuse to believe that all of this happened, and now we're going to continue on with our everyday lives.”

Hyunwoo chuckled. “It's not even 8:30 AM on a Thursday, and all of this has happened.” He turned to the nurse, who was actually still doing his job and checking a few things on Jooheon. “Kihyun, you said you could fly and see the future. What was your catch?”

“The catch is that if I want to see something, peek at what's to come, I can't be seen. I have to be invisible or hidden.” Kihyun stated simply. “Weird, I know.”

Hyunwoo pulled Kihyun to the side and muttered something to him. Moments later, Hyunwoo pulled a cloak of air around the shorter of the two, and he was gone. Everyone stood in a stupor, and just as soon as it happened, Kihyun was hovering in front of them with golden irises. The faded back to their usual twinkling mocha color after a few blinks. 

“In thirty seconds,” Kihyun began with a smile. “An official from the NFD is gonna walk in. We're going to be registered tomorrow, all of us. Together.”

Turns out Kihyun was right. Half a minute later, a man in a business suit walked in with an armful of large yellow envelopes and explained in minimal detail the registration process for heroes that were to be assigned to a squadron. Hyunwoo and Kihyun stood close together, possibly holding hands as Changkyun read aloud the ins and outs of the NFD's policies and schedules. Hoseok and Hyungwon stood behind Changkyun, each keeping a hand on the youngest's back or waist. Minhyuk and Jooheon sat on the bed, still holding each other close and basking in the new feeling of cool and warm respectively. Minhyuk placed an eager, happy wet kiss on Jooheon's lips, a loud smack echoing through the room after Hoseok had joked that any of the groups could just get married now.

Energy buzzed in the room. None of the seven could stay still – too many possibilities were ready to be explored and too many opportunities were being presented to stay idle.

“Well,” Started Hyunwoo. The seven sat or stood in the crowded hospital room, sigils burning in their skin and newly invigorated power thrumming throughout their bodies. Seven pairs of hands held envelopes packed with paperwork to begin work for the National Foundation of Defenders. “Looks like we're gonna be heroes.”  
  
  


**Author's Note:**

> pls give feedback ;-; I live for it


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